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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

April 12th Mayhem in Monterrey: Grenade attack on Guadalupe city hall

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A grenade was detonated near Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon city hall, and only a few meters from a school Wednesday, according to Mexican news accounts.

The attack took place near the intersection of calles Hidalgo and Zaragoza in Zona Centro. No one was reported hurt and damage was limited to broken glass in the José Eleuterio Gonzalez school, three residences and parked vehicles in the area.

Guadalupe suffered a violent incident the day before when a total of eight taxi drivers were shot to death by armed suspects near Cerro de Silla.

In related news, Mexican security forces in and around Monterrey have conducted several counternarcotics operations which killed two suspects and resulted in the detention of dozens more suspects.

Operatives with the Nuevo Leon Agencia Estatal de Investigaciones (AEI) raided a safe house in Juarez, Nuevo Leon Wednesday killing two armed suspects and detaining nine. Agents were dispatched to the location near the intersection of calles Getafe and Barcelona in Praderas de San Juan colony based on a tip concerning illegal activity when they were met with gunfire. Return gunfire by police agents killed two armed suspects. A third armed suspect surrendered.

An hour later the same operatives with the Nuevo Leon Agencia Estatal de Investigaciones (AEI) raided a second safe house in Juarez, detaining 12 suspects. The raid took place near the intersection of calle Mina Grande and San Miguel in Urbi Villa colony, where police agents seized a stolen vehicle. Reports are Nuevo Leon state police agents and Mexican Army units are scouring around Juarez in search of mass graves, colloquially known as narcofosas.

Also in China, two armed suspects were detained in China in an apparent traffic stop in Rafael Buelna colony, who were travelling aboard a vehicle which had been reported as stolen. A search of the vehicle turned up military uniforms and quantities of drugs. The detainees were identified as José Manuel García, AKA El Pelon, 22 and Omar Cantu Martinez, 24.

Five armed suspects were detained following an exchange of gunfire with Mexican security forces in Monterrey Wednesday. Elements of the Agencia Estatal de Investigaciones (AEI) and Mexican Army had been conducting an operation on Avenida Pablo A. de la Garza in the Moderna colony when the police came under small arms fire. Return fire provided by Mexican Army elements ended the battle. The detainees were identified as Guillermo Martinez Velasco, Juan José Martinez Ayala, Noe de la Cruz, Luis Manuel Martinez and on unidentified minor.

An unidentified man was found tortured and shot to death in Santiago, 20 kilomters south of Monterrey Wednesday. The victim was found near Zona Comerical Los Cabazos hands bound, about 100 meters from the National Highway.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com